United Nations News. Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967
The United Nations Special Rapporteur, who is concerned about the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, said today that Israel's decision to ban her from entering the country was symbolic and intended to divert attention from the atrocities and crimes committed in Gaza.
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, said that Israel had blocked the entry of all special rapporteurs in that position since 2008, when Israel detained and expelled then-UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk.
"Therefore, Israel's recent announcement of a 'formal ban' on my entry is symbolic and misleading," she said. ”
Blatant contempt for the order of the International Court of Justice
She noted that Israel's statement must not divert attention from the situation in Gaza. Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, characterized the situation in Gaza as "an attack unparalleled in intensity, brutality and scope" and which the International Court of Justice found to appear to amount to genocide.
Albanese stressed that in just over four months, Israeli forces have killed more than 28,500 Palestinians in Gaza, 70 percent of them women and children, and about 10,000 others are missing and estimated to have died under the rubble. Nearly 70,000 people were also injured, many with lifelong disabilities. In addition, some 1.7 million people, or 75% of the population, have been displaced, while all civilians are at risk of extreme hunger.
"Relentless massacres are taking place every day, the latest of which took place in the non-existent so-called 'safe zone' in Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are struggling for survival, in blatant defiance of provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice," she said. ”
Comments are for a reason
Israel claims that Albanese's entry was barred because of her comments about the background of the October 7 Hamas attack.
In response, Albanese said: "The French president's description of the attack as 'the greatest anti-Jewish massacre of the century' prompted me to comment. I have consistently and strongly condemned these heinous attacks as war crimes and consider them unjustifiable in any respect. I also condemn these acts for sowing fear and suffering among Israelis. I continue to express my condolences and solidarity with the victims, including those still being held captive, as well as with Jewish communities around the world. I also call for accountability for these crimes. ”
The root cause of the Hamas attack
Albanese stressed that while her condemnation of the attacks is clear, she also feels the need to challenge the ongoing misunderstanding of the root causes of the October 7 attacks, especially in Western countries, which is to believe that the attacks were primarily motivated by anti-Semitism.
She noted that, as prominent Holocaust and antisemitism scholars have warned, this assumption is both false and dangerous because it evades the key root causes of the conflict and denies Israel's role in fueling it. These scholars have recently argued that "the memory of resorting to the Holocaust obscures our understanding of the anti-Semitism that Jews face today and dangerously distorts the causes of Israeli-Palestinian violence." Thus, while for some anti-Semitism existed on a personal level in this attack, its main determinants can be found elsewhere.
The attack did not happen in a vacuum: 56 years of suffocating occupation
Albanese points out that context does matter. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: "It is important to recognize that the Hamas attack did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to a suffocating occupation for 56 years".
"Fundamentally, no criminal act can justify another criminal act," she said. There can be no justification for the horrific attack of October 7. However, the '56 years of suffocating occupation' to which the Secretary-General refers is the backdrop that fuels hatred and violence and endangers the security of Israelis and Palestinians alike. The events of 7 October are blurred by the use of anti-Semitism to define the events of 7 October. ”
Special Rapporteur suffers "hostility and slander" from Israel
"In accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders, since the beginning of my tenure, I have sought to establish a formal relationship with Israel, which will enable me to fulfil the mandate entrusted to me by the Human Rights Council," Albanese said. Unfortunately, Israel responds with hostility and slander, which are often amplified by politically aligned organizations and the media".
Israel has an obligation to respect international law
She stressed Israel's obligation as a Member of the United Nations to respect international law and uphold the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Charter of the United Nations, which enshrined the rights and freedoms of all humankind. Regrettably, the Government of Israel has consistently denigrated the main promoters and defenders of the rule of law, humanitarian protection and human rights, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms and independent experts, UNRWA, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Court of Justice.
"The primacy of the rule of law forms the basis of the UN's existence and mission – and Israel, like any other country, must abide by those standards," she said. This includes facilitating my access to the territory it has occupied for 56 years. ”
"Although this is a long and challenging endeavor, respecting international law and ending the apartheid system imposed by Israel on the Palestinians is the only way to achieve lasting peace, human security and regional stability – because your security can only be guaranteed if all people are safe. ”
